I prolly started playing bass YEARS after many of the guitar players I know. Seems that they spent years learning songs while I was just learning to play. This extends into most of the guitar players I've just played with, also.

I don't know how to play the 15 Metallica, 12 ACDC, 25 Ozzy/Sabbath songs, ad infinitum, all these guys know. I have a pretty good grasp of chords/theory so I pick these songs up fast.

So ... should I just continue to hone my playing, chord and theory knowledge or add in a sizeable dose of learning this stuff?

The material you're describing is more riff than theory.

I'm normally the one who shuggest to drop the memorization and then learn theory - in your material case, it may make sense to know the top 50 tunes.

Now country, pop, jazz etc - answer would be different.

T.

I've also been trying to figure out some way to carry a sizeable list of the progressions for these songs. Spiral notecard deck in my gig bag?

Maybe its just my inexperience talking here, but I feel like its easier to remember guitar parts as melodies tend to stick to the brain easier. I've learned a lot of songs, I don't think I can play you more than a handful start to finish, and most of them would be riffy/grooves.